Photo: Google
Google Maps and Waze are currently two of the world’s most popular navigation solutions, and while they’re available for free for regular users out there, the parent company still makes money thanks to solutions offered to developers.
And according to a recent lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, Google used anticompetitive practices that eventually put the company in a position that allowed it to charge more for certain services available to developers.
More specifically, the proposed class action claims Google Maps is indeed available free of charge, but developers who need to use its API end up being forced to deal with a lot of restrictions and increasing costs. The overall prices have been raised by no less than 1,400% in the last four years, the lawsuit claims, according to a report.
Google Maps, however, isn’t the only navigation solution that’s causing trouble for its parent company. Waze’s name has also been mentioned in the lawsuit, as the three businesses that started the lawsuit claim that Google’s acquisition of Waze provided the company with even more market power.
Waze was considered one of the top alternatives to Google Maps, so by buying the company, Google ended up building a monopoly that allowed it to lock developers into its ecosystem.
The search giant hasn’t responded to the claims, but this isn’t Google’s first rodeo when it comes to claims of anticompetitive practices. But what’s more important is that antitrust accusations concerning Google Maps are becoming more common these days.
In the meantime, Google keeps refining Google Maps, and earlier this month, the service was updated with a series of improvements specifically aimed at the navigation experience. Google Maps can now display stop signs and traffic light information right during the navigation, with these capabilities supposed to roll out gradually in certain regions across the world.
Google Maps has also received more detailed maps, with the focus put on things that make it easier for users to figure out where they are, including more accurate sizes for medians, sidewalks, and crosswalks.
More specifically, the proposed class action claims Google Maps is indeed available free of charge, but developers who need to use its API end up being forced to deal with a lot of restrictions and increasing costs. The overall prices have been raised by no less than 1,400% in the last four years, the lawsuit claims, according to a report.
Google Maps, however, isn’t the only navigation solution that’s causing trouble for its parent company. Waze’s name has also been mentioned in the lawsuit, as the three businesses that started the lawsuit claim that Google’s acquisition of Waze provided the company with even more market power.
Waze was considered one of the top alternatives to Google Maps, so by buying the company, Google ended up building a monopoly that allowed it to lock developers into its ecosystem.
The search giant hasn’t responded to the claims, but this isn’t Google’s first rodeo when it comes to claims of anticompetitive practices. But what’s more important is that antitrust accusations concerning Google Maps are becoming more common these days.
In the meantime, Google keeps refining Google Maps, and earlier this month, the service was updated with a series of improvements specifically aimed at the navigation experience. Google Maps can now display stop signs and traffic light information right during the navigation, with these capabilities supposed to roll out gradually in certain regions across the world.
Google Maps has also received more detailed maps, with the focus put on things that make it easier for users to figure out where they are, including more accurate sizes for medians, sidewalks, and crosswalks.
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